Process of refining asphaltic mineral oils.



Patented Nov. Il, |902. J. C. MIMS.

PROCESS 0F REFINING ASPHALTIC MINERAL OILS.

(Application led Feb. 13, 1902.)

(N0 Model.)

A TTOHNEYS TH: Noms paens co.. mman-mo, wAsmNcnoN. n. q,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

JOHN OARWILE MIMS, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR'OF ONE- HALF TO QUITMAN KOHNKE, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

PROCESS OF REFINING ASPHALTIC MINERAL OILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,475, dated November 11, 1902.

Application filed February 13, 1902.

T a/ZZ whom, it 77mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, J oHN CARWILE Mms, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Refining Asphaltic Mineral Oils, of which the following is a specification.

lWIy process relates to rening asphaltic minro eral oils Without distillation-such, for' instance, as the oils yielded by wells situated in the States of Texas and Louisiana, whose product contains a high percentage of asphaltum. My process is designed to remove this asphaltum and comprises the steps hereinafter detailed. l

Fora more ready understanding of my process I will describe it with reference to an apparatusillustratedintheaccompanyingdrawing, in which A indicates a settling-tank, from which the oil, freed from sand, dirt, dac., is forced into the primary treating-tank B, provided with a steam-heating coil C. From said tank B the oil is conveyed into a tank D, where the acid is washed out, and thence to a ilter-press E for completion of the purifying process. The oil to be treated is allowed to stand until all sand, dirt, and other similar foreign matter has settled. The oil is first pumped into the tank A, where this settling occurs. From such tank the oil floating above the sediment is pumped or otherwise conveyed into the tank B, where it is treated as follows: The oil is heated, preferably by a steam-coil O, to about 8OO centigrade, and then potassium bichromate and sulfuric acid are added for the purpose, primarily, of precipitating and rendering insoluble the asphaltum and tarry matter held in solution or in suspension and incidentally to oxidize the sulfur. The quantity of these ingredients is necessarily varied with the nature of the oil treated, for the greater the per cent. of asphaltum the greater the proportion of the acid, and it is obvious that a strong acid will effect the desired result in a shorter time than a weaker one. Ordinarily the proportions may be as follows: Potassium bichromate, tive parts, by weight; sulfuric acid, (ninety percent.,) ninety-live parts,by Weight.

Serial N0. 93,369. (No specimens.)

From one to ten per cent., by weight, of this mixture is to be added to the oil-that is to say, an amount of the mixture is added to the oil which shall be, by Weight, from one to ten per cent. of the weight of the oil.

After the addition of the bichromate and acid, as above stated,the contents of the treating-tank B are stirred or agitated so as to thoroughly mix them, and then they are allowed to stand till the asphaltum and tar and 6o similar or related substances which have been rendered insoluble shall have settled or precipitated to the bottom of the tank.

The temperature above mentioned is not necessary, since the same changes will occur at the ordinary temperature, although much more slowly. The oilis then drawn off from the treating-tank B, leaving the asphaltum, tar, and related products and the greater portion of the acid at the bottom of the tank. 7o The oil is conveyed to a third tank D, wherein it is Washed with water containing sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxid until free from acid and decidedly alkaline in character.

The alkaline solution used in my process is made bytakinglve parts,by Weight,ofsodium hydroxid; five parts, by weight, of sodium carbonate, and ninety parts, by weight, of water. After this treatment the liquid mixture is allowed to remain quiescent until the wa- 8o ter has separated from the oil. Then the water is drawn off from the bottom of the Washing-tank, and another quantity of water isintroduced for further washing the oil and separating the alkali from it. This operation is repeated as often as may be necessary to entirely free the oil from alkali. The oil is now practically ready for use as a lubricant or for the manufacture of lubricants by mixing with other oils, fats, clac.; but for obtain- 9o ing an oil having the greatest degree of purity or freedom from foreign substances the oil may be filtered, and for this purpose it is pumped or otherwise drawn off from the washing-tank D to a filter-press E of a wellknown construction. By my process the gummy oradhesive substances which at present prevent the use of the so-called Texas oils and others of similar character are effectually removed, as is also the foul odor.

IOC

associated impurities to settle, and then Wash` ing the oil with an aqueous solution containing about five per cent. 0f sodium hydroxid Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

tben separating the purified oil from the sedi- I5 mentary matter as described.

JOHN OARWILE MIMS.

5 mineral oils containing a high percentage of aspbaltum which consists in adding to the oil a mixture of about iive parts by Weight of potassium bichrornate to ninety-ve parts of sulfuric acid in quantity equal to one to ten 1o per cent.of the oil,allowing the asphaltum and Witnesses:

J. G. RYAN, ALBERT OHASTANT.

l The process of removing asphaltum from I and ve per cent. of sodium carbonate and 

